Button, button: Central Catholic's new direction

By Jose T. Garza III

Published 10:20 am, Monday, August 27, 2012

Don Byrd is uncertain how his first year as Central Catholic Buttons head football coach will turn out. But his expectations heading into the 2012-13 football season, just like every high school football coach, are to reach the playoffs.

Byrd, who was hired in March to step in after Chris Roberts' single controversial season, said he has to get acclimated to coaching in a new school and new division after serving as the Alamo Heights Mules' head coach for 17 seasons.

Byrd led the Mules to the 2006 Class 4A Division I state championship.

The Buttons open the season against the Holy Cross Knights in the annual Holy Bowl Friday, and Byrd has liked what he's seen thus far during practice to prepare for the season.

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“I like the work ethic and concentration of these young men,” Byrd said. “They are serious about football, and my players are working hard to improve to be better everyday.”

The Buttons' improvement begins with the change in culture from one coaching regime to another.

The Buttons football season last year was marred in controversy beginning with a scouting incident that led to defensive coordinator John Jennings being suspended five games and Roberts being placed on probation last October. Roberts would resign from his position five months later.

Byrd's job is to rebuild the Buttons' football culture with the same coaching skills that led him to a successful 147-58 career record as head coach of the Mules.

“We are going to instill the aspects of sportsmanship, and how we conduct ourselves,” Byrd said. “I wasn't here last year so I can't comment on what happened last season, but all I can control is this season.

“We are going to go out on the field and represent this outstanding school in the classiest fashion we can.”

The Buttons return four seniors, including quarterback Josh Godfrey, who threw for 490 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and wide receiver/defensive back Alec Parker, who caught 10 touchdowns for 590 yards.

Byrd hopes that, as elder classmen, they provide leadership to a group of players, who are expected lead the Buttons once the seniors' graduate.

The coach expects their leadership skills to be tested if and when they face a little adversity during the season.

With no film of TAPPS 2-I district opponents available to him, Byrd can't comment on who he sees as a threat in the division. The best he can do, he says, is decipher his division opponents game by game.

“We have to work hard as we can against each opponent. As we develop a game plan on the weekends against each opponent, we have to go out and see how well we execute it,” Byrd said.